Darkness and Hope
by rain pitter-patters
Summary: Karofsky and Azimio attack Kurt, sending him to the hospital. This is after the wedding but before Kurt's transfer to Dalton. I know this has been done before but this got into my head :   Please read and review and I hope you enjoy!
1. Prologue

_Hello! _

_First, I would like to thank those who put alerts on my last story and those who favorited it. It was wondrously, completely unexpected! _

_I would especially like to two thank my two reviewers, KandyHouse and random4ever. I greatly appreciate the feedback. _

_Summary: Kurt is attacked by Karofsky and Azimio. Mostly deals with after the attack, and picks up in the middle of it. I hope this turns out different than the other similar stories floating around. Currently, I am thinking this will be around three chapters. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. _

_Please review! Constructive criticism is quite welcome! (please, no flames) _

_I hope you enjoy this : ) _

_(ps. I hope this works. I wanted the prologue to be Kurt's impressions during the attack. I thought Kurt should be delirious and lost… I tried to convey that without the narration becoming too confusing. I hope tenses and Kurt's thoughts make sense)

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**Prologue**

Pain. There is pain, and darkness. He doesn't know very much except for that. He doesn't remember how he got to be in this… place. He doesn't know where he is, or even who he his. He can't identify where the pain is coming from, because it's everywhere.

He doesn't know what he did to deserve this.

He tries to escape into his scattered memories: he vaguely knows that if he can concentrate, he can build himself a sanctuary within his mind. He can nearly remember doing it before. No memories come: he can't picture his father holding his hand in silent reassurance or imagine Mercedes cheering him up while shopping. He cannot even see his mother smiling at him comfortingly or feel her wrapping her arms around him. Usually, he can imagine that… because if he lets himself truly believe, he thinks she must be watching over him. He doesn't believe in God, but he does believe in _her_.

Maybe he can't find comfort in these memories because the people they star haven't made him feel safe—completely safe—in a long, long time. How could his father manage that when he doesn't know the latest problems? His mother was safety itself, but she had to leave. Mercedes had been distant for a few weeks now. So he was left with only this raw agony that was utterly invincible. Were they still hitting him? It had to be more than one person, right? One person couldn't cause _this _much pain.

He remains as he has been for hours, tumbling through the blackness, not knowing which way is up or down. If he could form a thought, he would wish to pass out.

_Courage_. The word rises from the depths of his mind. But what use is courage now? Courage did not (could not) save him. Why would he find this one simple word so reassuring and comforting? _Perhaps_, he manages to think, _it isn't the word… it's the person who said it._

Memories trickle in about a boy (a handsome boy) in some sort of uniform. Suddenly, Kurt remembers the boy who has become his best friend (tied with Mercedes) in a stunningly short amount of time. Kurt clings to his memory of finding a person who truly understands him, and tries to push back at the darkness.

It doesn't quite work, because his eyes still can't open and he still can't decipher where he is. Instead, he slips into unconsciousness where he is lulled by Blaine's voice interweaving with his own and Blaine's hand steadily grasping his.


	2. Dreaming and Waking

_Hello! I am sorry for the wait. I am hoping my schedule will lighten up in about a week, though that might or might not happen. I really shouldn't have written this today ad yesterday. I have incredibly large amounts of work to do for Thursday. I cut this off sooner than I planned because I want to post this today. I hope you enjoy it! _

_Special thanks to those who put alerts on this story, and _extra _special thanks to my reviewers IWillBeWhereYouAre, lilycats, and Supermegafoxyawesomehot7. _

_If you haven't, I suggest you read _Truth, Love, and Evolution.

_I do not own glee. _

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _

Dimly, Kurt becomes aware of a small, nondescript room. He seems to be lying on a bed other than his own. He decides he liked his bed better. He starts to wonder where the beeping is coming from, but it requires too much effort so he drifts back into sleep.

Too tired to truly dream, he mostly wanders through a state quite close to unconsciousness. It's comfortable and soothing. For some reason, he hears a voice softly singing "Teenage Dream."

Initially, Kurt merely rests. As he gains strength memories return and he begins to fight the inevitability of waking up. It's a battle he needs to win: here is safe, but his body insists on betraying him by trying to leave the comforting space. He turns away from the light of eyelids attempting to open and buries himself in scenes of safety.

In one, his mother sings him to sleep. In another, his father carefully runs behind Kurt while teaching him to ride a bike. Next Finn takes his hands and leads Kurt in a dance at their parents' wedding. Burt and Carole look at the pair with astonishment and joy.

Then Kurt drifts into a scene longer than the others, where Blaine takes him by the hand and pulls him to a piano. _Sing_, Blaine's eyes encourage, _nobody will hurt you here for being who you are. Sing something that you've wanted to sing but were too afraid to before. _Kurt looks at him trustingly and lifts his voice into the beautiful song "Defying Gravity." Perhaps it's a cliché choice—he doesn't care.

The music swirls around him and Blaine, cloaking the pair in comfort and peace.

The world outside, however, insists on intruding. "Kurt? Wake up… please Kurt, you _have_ to wake up."

The music continues to wrap around Kurt, but now it holds an air of hesitation. Kurt is torn. He knows—he just _knows_—that with the light comes pain. The pain drove him here, and though Kurt remains happy to stay here, he knows that for some reason he should not. He tries to forget the distant sense of unease. He lost some sort of fight in the other world, and it would be so much easier to stay here. He desperately, helplessly wants to stay here, in this place of safety and utter possibility.

A hand gently touches Kurt's cheek. Startled, Kurt focuses his eyes to see Blaine standing close in front of him. Blaine saves him from his indecision with the whisper _Go on. Really. I'll be there with you. I'll help you stand up if you fall._ Noticing Kurt's objection to the idea of falling, Blaine adds: _It's easy to try so hard not to fall that you never take a step. Trust me?_

Before he can change his mind, Kurt focuses on the sound of his father's voice. The sounds are his trail of breadcrumbs, and they lead him back to wakefulness.

. . . . . . . . .

He hears the beeping again. It sounds so harsh. It sounds like one of those TV shows when a character is in the hospital and friends and family wait anxiously for news. The beeps seem to symbolize all the sadness, dread, and painful hope that reside in hospitals. He wants them to _stop_.

Kurt notices that someone—his father?—has a desperate hold on his hand. The person's hand shakes like a leaf about to fall from its tree into a storm. Concerned, Kurt forgets about the incessant machine. He forces his eyes open. Initially, a confusing set of double images greets him. It gradually forms into a more recognizable scene: his father, head bowed, sits close beside Kurt's bed. Around him, only a couple chairs and a small window alleviate the stark whiteness of the room.

When Burt does not immediately notice Kurt's waking, Kurt attempts to say "Hi dad." It isn't a particularly ambitious attempt. Two words should be well within the realm of possibility. Apparently, a throat worn by shouts, screams, and disuse does not always adhere to the expected, as the words emerge as only a croak.

The croak still manages to fulfill its purpose: Burt whips around, relief replacing some of the fear and pain in his expression. "Kurt! How are you feeling?" Burt seems to realize the error in his question (of course Kurt doesn't feel well) and replaces it with "Do you need more pain meds?"

Most of Kurt's body was numb prior to the suggestion, but with the reminder the throbs and aches come roaring back. "Pain meds would be good," he manages. His voice is atrocious, but the words make their way out understandably.

"Don't worry son, I'll call in the nurse. I'm real glad you woke up Kurt, but I know you need your rest. Don't fight to stay awake or anything, okay?" Kurt nods as Burt continues, "I'm not going anywhere. You just try to relax and get better. I won't let anything happen to you. I swear."

"Dad? …" Kurt hesitates for a long moment before continuing. "What happened?"

"Mr. Schuester found you by the school dumpster. He called 911, then me. You we bleeding internally and have two broken ribs. At first, they weren't sure… they weren't sure if you were going to wake up. You've been asleep for two days, hon."

Kurt doesn't quite know how to process that. Sure, he's alive… but he almost wasn't. It's a lot to take in so suddenly, especially when already confused and scared.

"Who else is here?"

"The entire glee club has been in and out since you got here. Mr. Schuester comes as often as he can. Carole, Finn, and Mercedes are here now. Everybody's been distraught, but Mercedes most of all."

"Where's Blaine?" Kurt asks, with a tinge of panic creeping into his voice. The fear has already deeply rooted itself into his body. "He said… he _said_ he would be here! Why? Why isn't he here, Dad?"

Burt reaches over and gently touches Kurt's shoulder, attempting to avoid the worst of the bruises. "Kurt, I don't know who Blaine is. I'll get him here, if you tell me how to contact him. How do you know him? Most of the school doesn't know about all this." His voice sounds calm, but Kurt knows it's an act meant to prevent him from panicking, or from panicking further. It's an act that fails miserably.

"But he should've called by now. He would've called right when I stopped responding to his texts. Wh-where's my phone?"

"Kurt, it's going to be okay," Burt says soothingly, though it has little effect, "when did you talk to him?"

"In… in the place. It was mostly dark, but he was there and he _promised_ me."

Burt hopes this Blaine character isn't just a hallucination from when Kurt was unconscious. "Your phone is at home, I think. It was pretty much one of the last things on our minds. You forgot it when you went to school that day." Burt pauses, as if he isn't sure if his next question is a good idea. He sighs and asks, "Do you want to use my phone? To call him?"

Kurt takes a deep breath as some measure of calm returns. His voice shaking, he responds, "Y-yeah. Could you… could you tell Mercedes, Finn, and Carole I'm awake?"

With a timid smile, Burt pats Kurt on the shoulder, hands him his phone, and goes to walk out. "You going to be okay for a couple minutes?"

Kurt nods as he enters Blaine's cell phone number. "I'll be okay in a minute."

Burt smiles a little less hesitantly and reluctantly walks out. Kurt puts the phone to his ear, not quite understanding why it's so dreadfully important to talk to Blaine, to see Blaine. It just is. For now, he's willing to accept that.

_Reviews greatly appreciated! They also get me to write despite threat of sleep deprivation. (Constructive criticism appreciated, but please no flames). _


	3. Tiring Interactions

_Hello again! _

_Again, thanks to my lovely reviewers (lilycats, mimi, and Happinessmachine) and to those who put alerts on my story. Special thanks to those who favorited (I forgot to mention you last time!)_

_Hopefully, I pulled off Blaine's point of view (and the reactions of Carole, Finn, and Mercedes… having them all in the room was tricky for me). I haven't seen him as much as Kurt… _

_(umm. I went on mapquest and found that Westerville and Lima are about an hour and forty minutes apart. I wanted my information straight.) _

_Sorry for forgetting the horizontal lines last time (not sure what to call those things…) _

_I do not own Glee. _

_I'm not entirely certain about this chapter, but here goes. _

_Hope you enjoy! (and even if you don't, please review… but no flames) _

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He's scared. He has been since he woke up from a dream that was rather unrealistic, but hauntingly lifelike. Blaine realizes this makes no sense… but then again, when does logic apply to dreams? Blaine barely remembers it, but it hovers around his mind.

He can't strike the feeling from his stomach that Kurt is _not _okay.

Why hasn't he replied to the texts—Blaine has send an embarrassing quantity of them—or answered his phone? Blaine is of half a mind to go down there this very instant to—

Honestly, he isn't sure what his goal would be. To swoop in and save Kurt? To simply provide support? Or to look like a fool and rush in unnecessarily? Unfortunately the latter seems most likely.

Still, the worry won't be going away anytime soon. Blaine knows it's a losing battle. He'll be in his car soon enough, probably breaking speed limits.

It's amazing how quickly he loses his composure around Kurt. Wes and David gleefully mock him when he gushes about "the little spy" or stares at his phone. Usually he is calm and collected, no matter what the problem is. Only now, that might no longer be true (if he is honest with himself, he _knows_ it is no longer true).

His phone's ringtone cuts into his thoughts. Looking for a distraction, he all but leaps towards the phone. "Hello?"

". . . Hi Blaine." The voice sounds weird and raspy, but recognizable. Blaine's body can't decide between relief and apprehension.

Blaine's words tumble out, "Kurt! Are you okay? I was… worried about you." His tongue moves a mile a minute and he knows in the back of his mind that this isn't normal. Simple friends don't do this, especially friends that only recently met each other… even if they are best friends.

The pause is worrisome.

"Well, that's sorta why I'm calling now, and on a different phone. It's my dad's. I—I need to see you. I'm, uh…"

Blaine isn't quite in charge of his body any longer (he seems to have keys in his hands, and his legs are walking him to his car though he doesn't recall directing them to). "I'm heading to my car now. Where are you? What's wrong?"

The words, when they come, rush from Kurt's mouth. "I'm in the hospital. In Lima."

Any composure Blaine had retained vanishes and he breaks into a run. Rationality would say that Kurt sounds fine: he can talk, he sounds aware, and he doesn't sound as though he is in much pain. Unfortunately rationality is one of the first things to go in emergencies.

"What! I'll be there as soon as possible… maybe an hour and twenty minutes. Or ten. I think I can manage that…"

"Blaine, it takes an hour and forty minutes if traffic is nonexistent. To be here in an hour and a half, you'd have to break speed limits. My dad, my stepmom, Finn, and Mercedes are here now. I'll survive until you get here." Kurt sounds almost normal to Blaine's ear, but then he hears a mumbled comment, nearly unintelligible: "I think."

The tiny portion of his mind that still possesses logic tells Blaine that he has to at least _sound_ calm for Kurt. That's what mentors do, right? Kurt's his best friend, so he isn't _exactly_ his mentor, but he sort of is. He's gone through this dreadful junk and made it to the other side. Kurt hasn't yet. If the f-ing Neanderthal did this to Kurt, Blaine was going to f-ing _hurt_ him. Still, anger isn't one of his top priorities at the moment. Right now, only Kurt matters.

"Blaine? I know you don't have hands free in your car. I _really_ want to keep talking to you, but…"

"I swear, Kurt, I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm starting the car now. Are you sure you'll be okay for a little bit?"

"Yeah. My dad's waiting at the door. And Blaine?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

They both hang up, leaving Blaine with an impossibly long drive ahead of him. It was always short when he was driving to Lima to hang out with Kurt. The time flew! Now the time barely trickles past.

* * *

Kurt hands the phone back to his father. He should be upset, he knows, but he just can't find the urge to be. Blaine is coming. The panic unwound from his chest the moment Blaine said hello. He starts to smile, but that's a bit of a mistake. They must have punched his face.

His dad enters and sits down in the same chair as before. He stares at Kurt's face as though he could stare happily at Kurt's open eyes for all eternity. "Mercedes, Carole, and Finn thought we should have a couple more minutes alone together, but they're coming soon. You should've seen their faces light up, Kurt. It was something." He waits a moment and then remembers, "Oh, and I talked to the nurse. She'll come by soon and give you something for the pain."

Kurt grasps his father's hand and leans further into the pillows. A contented smile momentarily graces his face, but pain again meets it in protest. His eyes, however, continue to smile. "Thanks, dad." After a pause he adds, "Blaine is on his way… he says he can be here in an hour and ten minutes, but it'll be closer to an hour and forty."

Kurt barely notices Burt's astonishment even though it's clearly present in both his face and voice. "An hour and forty minutes? Who is this kid?"

It's strange how sometimes moments when a person has been gravely injured elicit such diverse conversations. Sometimes it's grand confessions. Other times, it's sweet declarations of love. Maybe Kurt and Burt should now be fondly reminiscing over happy memories. Perhaps they should be finally saying things they wanted to say ages ago. Or they could simply look at each other, content to see the other one (relatively) okay. After all, both of them have had near-death situations recently.

Instead, the pair talks about things that (in comparison) seem insignificant. It still makes sense—what father wouldn't want to know about the boy his son asks for almost immediately after waking up?

Kurt isn't nervous, exactly, as he tells his father about Blaine… but he isn't at ease either. He's not quite sure why, but it's imperative that his father likes his… his new best friend. He needs Burt to understand that Blaine saved him before and during the attack. Kurt hopes that Burt won't mind too much that he was left in the dark. Only how can he convey just how wonderful Blaine is, how compassionate, understanding, and fun he is? They have worlds in common and the reason they're already so close is the bullying they've both suffered. They understand each other almost perfectly. Kurt thinks Blaine's actions when he called Blaine (in shock) after the locker room incident would be the best thing to make Burt understand. He hadn't known Blaine for even a week, but he dropped everything to lend support.

Kurt almost starts to tell the story, but he has to change it swiftly: he is not at all ready to tell Burt about the locker room incident. Instead he settles for the inadequate: "He's just… he's wonderful dad. It's like we're on the same wavelength, or something. And he'll be here soon. You'll get to meet him."

Burt watches his son gush about some guy he doesn't know, and hopes his little boy isn't being used or tricked. He's going to have a talk with this Blaine person, he thinks… but then he looks back at Kurt's face and can't bring himself to be angry. He'll protect Kurt as much as possible, but he can't imagine doing anything that would take away the joy writ clearly across Kurt's face.

Burt realizes Kurt isn't okay. He'll have nightmares about this, especially once he remembers what happened. Still, he didn't think Kurt would be able spend a few minutes thinking about something other than the attack so soon after waking up. Besides… this person must be dropping everything to drive nearly two hours for Kurt. How bad could this boy be?

* * *

"Kurt!"

That's his only warning, but it's enough. He's ready to see Mercedes, Finn, and Carole, and that's a good thing… because Mercedes bursts into the room. The other two follow more sedately, but their smiles are just as exuberant.

All three stare at him and he's starting to feel just a little like some sort of attraction. Burt is a little better (he just clenches Kurt's hand as he has been, every moment he can, since the nurse first let him in the room). Carole's gaze holds love, relief and sadness. Actually, Finn's and Mercedes' expressions hold the same. They're happy, but they're also devastated that the bullying went this far.

"How are you, my boy?" Mercedes asks, but fails to wait for a response. She proceeds to gush instead: "I'm so sorry Kurt! I didn't know. What type of person am I, to not have known? You didn't tell me! But that's really no excuse, you know. I should've seen it! What do you want Kurt? Anything you want, really—"

"Cedes," Kurt cuts in. "It's not your fault. It truly isn't, but if it was, I would forgive you for it. So stop looking so heartbroken, okay?"

Mercedes subsides, though Kurt doesn't think she believes him. He decides she thinks he's only delirious from pain medications, or something.

That's not Kurt's only problem though—Finn hasn't said a word, but he seems to think exactly what Mercedes does. It would be gratifying if Kurt was still annoyed at them, but right now it's merely tiring. How is he going to start feeling normal if they tiptoe around him as though he is as fragile as an egg shell? Or if they fling themselves at him begging for forgiveness, as the case may be?

"Finn, I don't like the look on your face either. You were wonderful at the wedding—you were the best I could ever hope for. It's not your fault you didn't have all the information."

Mentally wincing, Kurt notices Burt honing in on the information part. "What do you mean, Kurt? There's something you're not telling me."

"… Nothing, dad."

Burt drops it, but only for the time being.

Finn and Carole both think to move away from the possibly awkward moment.

"Hey, man—"

"Kurt, I am so glad—"

After they glance at each other, Finn continues. "I was supposed to be there for you Kurt. I promised. We're… not going to get into that now, but I want you to trust me from now on okay?"

Kurt is just a little lost for how to respond, so he merely nods his head. Carole walks around the bed and takes his free hand. "I'm glad you're okay, sweetie."

It's not something commonly considered, but conversations after emergencies are quite exhausting. They're nice, but even exclamations of relief and delight can't be maintained for extended periods of time. After the initial delight is expressed, many people tend to push the conversation towards less emotionally charged topics. The delight doesn't fade, but the expression of it sometimes transforms into a giddy smile or something of the sort.

The group moves to more mundane topics, at least for the time being.

The nurse comes to give Kurt more pain medicine. He almost declines it because he wants to stay awake, but the looks he receives when he hesitates make him accept. He sinks into sleep, but because he tries to stay awake he doesn't return to the comforting space from before. That'll come later, perhaps.

The well-wishers slip outside in an attempt to not disturb hm. Burt stays, but Carole returns to retrieve him: she claims that if he doesn't eat he'll collapse… and it's probably true.

* * *

Blaine grips the steering wheel tightly, wishing he could teleport himself to the hospital, or something. He doesn't care about the means of transportation, as long as it gets there quickly. It's amazing that no police cars have stopped him because he's going about twenty miles over the speed limit.

With relief, Blaine sees the exit he usually uses when he visits Kurt. He is also extremely glad that he has driven past the hospital a couple times, though he was lost when he did so. It shouldn't be _too_ hard to find, right?

Maybe the adrenaline has given him a memory boost because he finds it in about ten minutes. He pulls into the parking lot, parks haphazardly, notices that it took him an hour and a half to get here, and runs to the hospital doors. When he enters, he forces himself to slow to a fast walk. He takes a deep breath because he knows he'll have to act as though things are semi-normal, for Kurt's sake. He starts towards the elevator…

… and realizes he has no idea where Kurt is.

Perhaps Kurt will still have his father's cell phone, he hopes as he dials the number… or perhaps not, he amends when he hears the answering voice.

"This is Blaine Anderson. Is Mr. Hummel speaking?"

Blaine continues after an affirmative grunt. "I'm downstairs in the lobby. Could you tell me where Kurt is, sir?"

In almost any other situation he would be overanalyzing the conversation like mad. He's too caught up now to care, though he manages to sound polite and not an unsuitable level of frantic.

"He's in room 244 on the second floor. The numbers make sense so you should find it easily enough. He's asleep though. The rest of us are getting some food."

Blaine attempts to not feel disappointed. He'll go to the room anyway to make sure Kurt doesn't have any nightmares. He steps into a crowded elevator.

Apparently Mr. Hummel isn't satisfied yet, unfortunately. "Since we have some time, how did you two meet?" Blaine gulps.

"He came to visit my school and happened to ask me what was happening. We were having an impromptu performance, sir."

He hears a sigh from Mr. Hummel. "Look. I just want to know how you feel about my son. Because if for one second I think that you are using him, or if you _ever_ hurt him, I'll—"

"Mr. Hummel? I know it sounds strange since we met only about a month ago, but he's one of my best friends. I wouldn't ever hurt him. I swear. …Could you tell me what happened to him?"

Mr. Hummel answers reluctantly. "You seem like a good kid from what he's told me. So I'll trust you on that point. We don't know what exactly happened though. He was found by the school dumpster. He has two broken ribs and had internal bleeding."

Blaine stifles a gasp. He was hoping, as unrealistic as it was, that he just had a broken leg or something. "Oh my…" he mumbles. Then, in a more normal tone, he says "Thanks Mr. Hummel."

"Listen, I'm guessing you're going to check in on him. You call me the second he wakes up, y' hear?"

"Yes, sir," Blaine replies, and presses end call. By this point, he is on Kurt's floor, looking for Kurt's room. _230 . . . 234 . . . 239 . . . 241 . . . 244._

He walks in, filled with apprehension. _Good God_. Kurt looks… Kurt looks… well, he always thinks Kurt looks wonderful. He can still see that, but every inch of skin that's visible displays horrible bruises. His face is black and blue and also sports a couple cuts. Blaine weakly sits in a chair right next to Kurt's bed and considers taking his hand. He wants to, but doesn't want to disturb him either. He tentatively reaches for it and when Kurt doesn't stir, he takes it in the gentlest of holds. Sitting here, he should feel angry at the people who did this to him. He knows his family was happy to see him wake up, but there were present when it was even worse. They saw improvement, but Blaine only sees this. Sitting here, he doesn't feel anything—can't feel anything—except sadness. He carefully brushes Kurt's hair out of his face and wishes for his eyes to open. Maybe once Kurt wakes, Blaine can convince himself that Kurt is some semblance of alright.

. . . . . . . . .

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_Okay. I hope you like this. I need to study tonight and I want to post this chapter, so I'm cutting this off sooner than I had planned (I thought this seemed like a good spot to pause anyway). Sorry this wasn't posted sooner. Please review! Thanks for reading! _


	4. A Difficult Story to Tell

_Hello! _

_I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I again ended it before I planned so I already have a firm idea of what will happen next chapter. I am quite sorry for the delay (though I think that if I had posted while n the pitiful amount of sleep I had, you wouldn't have enjoyed the chapter). _

_Thank you for all the alerts and favorites! It means a lot and is very motivating : ) _

_Special thanks to my reviewers Lizsername, Golden Perception, brenstal, and zeza101. _

_Extra special thanks to lilycats and Happinessmachine for reviewing more than once! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. _

_

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Time passes slowly when one is lost in thought. Well, that isn't quite true. It can also tumble past, but usually the thinker does not notice its passing. The thinker floats in time, until waking up some amount of time later. For Blaine, at least, the time barely crawls by.

Time usually passes slowly when one tortures oneself.

Blaine sits close beside Kurt, steadfastly grasping his hand (he doesn't know what could get him to stop grasping that hand, though he continues to hold it ever so gently). While sitting there, he imagines innumerable scenarios where he was _there_, where he saved Kurt. It might not be meant as torture, but it certainly qualifies. When he realizes what he's doing he forces himself to stop.

He starts to hum songs that remind him of Kurt. Not of this injured Kurt, but of _whole _Kurt, _smiling_ Kurt… of his _contented, carefree_ Kurt. It only seems fitting to start with the first one, Teenage Dream. He doesn't mind when he only makes it through the first couple of lines, because Kurt's hand slowly tightens around his own. He looks at Kurt's face and finds a pair of green-blue eyes looking back at him.

Kurt's eyes don't hold any of the fear he expected. Instead, he actually seems… content and at ease. Blaine guesses it won't last, but he'll take it for now.

"Blaine," Kurt says slowly, "you came. I'm so glad you came."

Blaine smiles softly. "Of course Kurt. I'll always come, I promise." If Blaine hadn't been quite so worried, he wouldn't have said something as revealing as that. There's a chance that he'll worry about it later, he knows in the back of his mind, but at the moment he can't bring himself to care. He doesn't even try.

"How are you feeling? I'd be happy to get you anything you want, or—"

"I don't really want anything," Kurt cuts in, "but do you think… maybe… you could just talk to me a bit? About normal things? I'm dying for those right now."

Blaine desperately wants to know more about the attack, and he wants to fawn over Kurt to make sure he's okay, but he knows that's not what Kurt needs right now. He needs normalcy, and his other friends and his family probably haven't thought to give it to him. So Blaine launches into a trivial but amusing story about Wes and David's antics. As he does, he realizes that it's probably the best way to reassure himself anyway. Because he's already gotten a chuckle from Kurt, and he seems to have gotten Kurt's mind off of this stark little room and the reasons why he is in it.

. . . . . . . . .

Blaine is towards the end of this particular story when he remembers. "—and then his father, he walks in and—Oh no. O-oh no. Your dad, he's very intimidating by the way, he made me promise to tell him the second you woke up. And you're awake and you've _been_ awake and he is going to _kill_ me…"

Kurt doesn't seem appropriately upset. _Doesn't he care that his friend will soon be significantly injured?_ _And now he's smiling? I'm very glad he's smiling… but about this? _He's starting towards quite the internal rant—his brain must be releasing some tension—when Kurt effectively stops him in his tracks.

"Don't worry about it Blaine, he won't mind. He _can_'_t_ mind, really." Blaine is about to ask him why-ever not when Kurt continues. "You saved me. He'll understand." He says it as though it's the simplest thing in the world. It's a statement of fact, and it makes perfect, absolute sense to him.

_The pain meds. It must be the pain meds. _Guilt crashes back down along with regret, frustration, and sadness. "But, Kurt, that's just it. I've been useless, this entire time. I didn't even _know_ until…"

"No, no, no." Kurt again interrupts. He doesn't sound upset, exactly, but there's an urgency in his voice that Blaine hasn't heard from him before. "You _did_, Blaine. I don't remember much of anything, but I remember that. There was nothing except pain, and darkness, and… I didn't even know who I was, but then I heard you and I knew. And you brought me out of that place and into a better one. And I didn't want to leave, but you promised you would be with me, so I did." Blaine, for the moment, can only stare. "Do you see? You saved me. I promise you, you did."

Somewhere along the line, a new hope has risen in Blaine's chest and he's hanging on those words and what those words could perhaps mean. Now isn't the time to be happy, because the aftermath of the attack has barely begun. Still, it's amazing how the definition of good changes so drastically and frequently in emergencies. So he _is_ happy because even though he doesn't understand it, it seems as though he managed to help Kurt. It wasn't in the way he wanted to, but it'll work. He can't believe that Kurt chose him to cling to, and he probably has that sappy grin on that Wes and David mock, but he doesn't care. "Yeah?" he breathes, because it doesn't quite feel real.

Kurt's eyes smile and he, happy that Blaine understands, answers with, "Yeah. I promised, didn't I? You did. Thanks, by the way. Thank you very much."

Blaine softly says "Always, Kurt. You're welcome," but Kurt doesn't seem to register it.

"I was scared," he continues, "when I woke up and you weren't here. But then I heard your voice and everything was better. And you told me you were coming, and I felt okay again." There's no way he would've admitted this if he was fully himself. He's too scared to ruin their friendship with an admission of just how much Blaine means to him. Tired as he is, and with the pain medications and the events of the last few hours, he doesn't even think about it. It feels wonderful to tell Blaine, because Blaine has the perfect listening face, and his gaze holds the perfect amount of intensity, and his hand holds his with the perfect amount of tightness.

Reluctantly, he asks Blaine to borrow his cell phone to call his dad. He would rather have it be like this, just him and Blaine, but he loves his dad and wants to see him too. He loves the way Blaine is acting mostly normal, so he delays a couple minutes longer. Then he dials.

"Hey, Dad. I'm awake."

Initially Blaine can't hear Mr. Hummel's end, but then he does. Clearly.

"Wait a second. I told that Blaine person to call me the second you woke up. Where is he?"

"He's right here Dad. And don't be upset with him. We were talking, you see. And then he remembered and was nervous, but I told him you wouldn't be upset."

"And why, exactly, won't I be?"

"Because he helped me, so you won't be." Blaine almost envies how simple everything seems to be for Kurt at the moment. He doesn't because of the circumstances, but still.

From what he can't hear, Blaine deduces that Mr. Hummel has been surprised into silence. After a few moments Kurt asks, "Dad?"

"I'm right here Kurt," Mr. Hummel says nearly too quietly for Blaine to hear, "I'm coming… that's what you want, right?"

"Of course Dad, of course I want you to be here."

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Burt hurries down the hall to his son's room. His _temporary_ room. For some reason Burt can't quite bear to imply that Kurt has any sort of claim on the room: in his mind, it means Kurt will be here for far too long.

He doesn't knock as he enters, so he happens to give Kurt and Blaine no warning of his entrance. Burt notes that their hands remain clasped, but Blaine hurriedly puts a larger distance between him and Kurt. Burt would love to analyze Blaine, but now isn't the time.

He is, however, gratified that Blaine looks rather apprehensive as he says "Hi, Mr. Hummel," though he merely gives the kid a cursory nod. He then realizes that his chair is taken, so he gives Blaine a look that succeeds in winning it back. He sits down and reclaims Kurt's hand. He doesn't notice that Blaine almost starts to leave but Kurt brings him back with a single look. He _does_ notice that Blaine stands close to Kurt on the other side of the bed.

"Hey there Kiddo. How're you feeling? Any better?"

Kurt glances at Blaine quickly before answering "Yeah, Dad. I am actually."

Burt smiles slightly before shifting a little in his seat. "Good," he starts reluctantly, "in that case, I was hoping you and I could have a little talk." When Kurt simply looks back at him, with nervousness creeping into his gaze, Burt adds "about what you said to Finn before."

"Oh," Kurt responds slowly, now staring determinedly at his blankets. Burt hates to do this to his son, to pressure him like this, but he needs to know what Kurt meant earlier. He looks around the room uncomfortably and observes Blaine looking at Kurt questioningly. Kurt turns his head towards Blaine and after only a moment, understanding floods Blaine's features. _What the heck? _

"Could you excuse me and my son, Blaine?"

Blaine and Kurt don't respond for almost a minute. They seem to be having a private conversation of sorts. When Blaine (_finally_) looks at the grumbling Burt, he doesn't obligingly say "Of course Mr. Hummel. I'll step outside." No, instead he says "I'm sorry Mr. Hummel, but I think it would be better if I stayed." He even has the audacity to look Burt straight in the eyes.

"I think not—"

"Dad," Kurt swiftly interrupts, "I want him to stay."

Burt turns awkwardly back to Kurt. Why would Kurt want someone else in the room? Why would he want this person when he only recently met him? And why on Earth do they seem to have some sort of telepathic connection? It doesn't make any sort of sense: at least, not with his limited information. For that matter, he doesn't even know if Blaine is gay. _Does it matter? _He asks himself. _No, of course not_… but then again_, yes! If he's gay, and they keep staring at each other like _that_, then they'll probably end up going out with each other! And I'm not certain I'm ready to deal with that. _It isn't because he can't stand the thought of his son having a boyfriend. It's more that his son is innocent in many ways, and he isn't ready to see his little boy grow up.

Hesitantly looking between the pair, Burt sighs. "You told Finn that he didn't have all the information… He was at school, and he knew about Karofsky—" (Kurt tenses at this) "—before me. So what is it that both of us don't know?"

Kurt's mouth opens and closes a few times but no sound comes out. Then Blaine carefully puts his hand on Kurt's shoulder, and says something softly that Burt can't catch (Burt struggles not to overanalyze this). Kurt finds his voice and reluctantly starts with, "He slammed me into the lockers."

Burt waits for Kurt to continue.

"H-He'd been doing that a lot. Really hard. And, well, I had just met Blaine and he made me more… brave. So I, so I, I…"

Blaine picks up the story, leaving Burt wondering why his son confided in a near stranger rather than him. "He picked himself back up and ran after Karofsky."

Kurt regains his equilibrium somewhat. "I started yelling at him about his ignorance. I told him to just hit me, because he couldn't punch the gay out of me any more than I could punch the ignoramus out of him. And he… he told me not to push him, but I kept yelling and then…" Kurt stops again, but at some hidden signal Blaine doesn't speak for him just yet. After a few deep breaths, Kurt continues softly, barely louder than a whisper, "he kissed me."

There's a moment of silence. Blaine and Kurt's silence is in anticipation and dread, while Burt's is in shock. Then he nearly shouts "He what?" When Kurt winces and jumps, Burt tries it again. "He what?"

"I froze, and then I pushed him away, and he left."

After a tender glance at Kurt, Blaine again speaks for him. "He called me that day, and the next day I came to McKinley to help Kurt talk to him."

"You went to talk to him?" Burt interjects.

"Well, yeah. He was obviously confused. If he just accepted his sexuality, or started do, it would have been a lot better for him and for Kurt."

Burt sits baffled and unbelieving, but with dawning comprehension. "You mean this entire thing—all of the horrible things he's done to you—all of it's been because he's in the freaking closet!"

He doesn't wait for Kurt and Blaine to respond because he suddenly remembers something. With horror, he asks "Is that why he threatened to kill you? If you told anyone else about what he did?"

"Yeah, that was why." With that point settled (though that isn't the best word, because that is most certainly not over) Burt takes a couple moments to process the new information. Anger comes quickly and fiercely. Glaring at Blaine, he asks "And you didn't think to tell someone about all this? You couldn't have told me about the situation? Do you realize what could have happened? What _did_ happen?—"

"Dad, don't. Just don't. Do _not_ go there. Blaine is my _friend_ and you can trust that he did what he thought was best. Besides, he had almost convinced me to tell you about the threat when you found out."

Burt quietly seethes, but feels slightly mollified when he notices that Blaine looks a little guilty.

"Is that everything?"

Kurt's pause is answer enough.

Burt doesn't quite want to know, but he presses his son anyway. "What else is there?" he asks, looking at his boy intently. "You can tell me."

"I won't tell you unless you promise not to explode at Blaine again."

Unfortunately Burt would _love_ to explode at Blaine again, but he makes the promise anyway.

"Nothing much, really. Really. It wasn't… so bad. He would just…He would…"

"Kurt, what did he do?"

"The usual, but it scared me more. And he would do things like run his finger down my chest when no one was watching. And I don't know what he told Azimio, but Azimio started to bully me more too."

"That's sexual harassment Kurt. Why the hell didn't you tell anyone about this?"

"I _did_ tell someone, Dad."

"An adult."

"Because I'm not going to forgive him for making my life a living hell, but I wasn't going to force him out of the closet either." Burt hears a sort of desperation in his son's voice, and it kills him.

In almost any other situation, he would probably push more. It might turn into a full scale argument, but he'd keep going anyway. He wouldn't stop until he made sure this crippling lack of information would never happen again. Now though, he can only watch Kurt's eyes almost fill with tears, his face exceptionally pale under the bruises, and let the subject drop. He can't cause Kurt any more pain right now so he merely nods carefully.

The nod almost feels like a lie, because he can't say that he won't pick the subject up again once Kurt feels better. He can't bury it… he can't even imply that he'll try to let it be. He wants to, but he thinks it would mean disaster. He won't lie to his son either, so he adds, "Okay son. I understand—well, I sort of understand. We can talk about this later, okay?" _What I understand is that you're too wonderful for your own good Kurt. Why can't you think about yourself, instead of your tormentor? _

"Thank you dad. I appreciate that." The intensity of his son's gaze tells Burt that Kurt isn't thanking him for dropping the issue, or for putting it momentarily aside. Burt knows that Kurt is thanking him for… well, for basically everything. For caring enough to push, for caring enough to shout, for caring enough to let it go, and for caring enough to love him all the same in spite of anything and everything.

Burt isn't sure, but he thinks Kurt is also thanking him for loving him for simply who he is. Burt smiles softly back at Kurt and squeezes his hand. He'd hug Kurt, but it isn't much of an option with the ribs so the hand will have to do. They'll have plenty of time for hugs after this, Burt promises himself.

. . . . . . . . .

Kurt sinks back into sleep quickly. The conversation sapped his strength and the pain medications tipped him over the edge. It was, after all, still the day he first woke up. The doctor had told Burt he would likely be in and out for awhile.

Kurt refuses to admit he is falling asleep, just like a puppy or a kitten. All the while yawning and slowly shutting his eyes, he insists both his father and Blaine stay with him, "because… I'm not. . . falling . . . asleep . . . ." By the end of the sentence, Kurt is out.

If the pain medications hadn't taken Kurt as swiftly, he might've foreseen the awkward situation he was making for his friend and his father. Instead he contentedly relaxes in a peaceful place where his ribs are whole and his body bears no bruises.

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_I hope you liked this! Please review even if you didn't: constructive criticism is greatly appreciated (but please no flames). Thank you for reading! _


	5. The Lost Memory

_Hello! _

_The attack scene is in this chapter, and Karofsky and Azimio say some offensive things… the only thing is that I don't want to actually spell it out because it's offensive and hurtful. I hope you don't mind putting up with f***** and f**. This chapter is actually entirely the attack. I was going to continue afterward, but I felt that it needed more than my divider of periods or horizontal gray line. That's why I am posting two chapters at once. The next chapter will take place at the same time as this one until Kurt wakes up. _

_Thank you everyone who has put alerts on this or favorited! _

_An extra thank you to my reviewers Rainglyph13, digiMist, and kyoujinKRISTA. _

_And, of course, even more thanks to _zeza101_ and _Lizsername_ for reviewing more than once. _

_I do not own glee. _

_Sorry for all the violence... I would have love to make it less severe, but I thought that wouldn't work as well. I also think Kurt really needed to remember for him to be able to move on an get past it (and I am sorry if my way of having him remember is unrealistic).  
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Kurt stands firmly, watching as the storm approaches. Clouds stretch as far as he can see, harsh and unforgiving. Angry, maybe. Or perhaps anguished. The wind whistles. Kurt wishes that he hadn't gotten himself into this mess because he knows he brought this on somehow. He thinks back to only a few minutes ago…

_He had found himself in a mysterious place. It should have been scary, but it wasn't. Kurt had absentmindedly thought that he liked this place. He wasn't quite sure where he was, but it was nice. There was something different about it… it felt lighter, somehow. It wasn't rational because the space was empty except for some soft of a warm darkness, but it seemed to have no burden associated with it. After a moment, Kurt had realized he felt no pain. In astonishment he rolled his shoulders a bit. Typically they're stiff with both old and new injuries, tired and knotted. They rolled smoothly. _

_Then_, Kurt thinks,_ I had to go and mess it up. _

_The problem was that there had been something missing. Someone wasn't there, so he began walking. It was probably pointless to just walk off in some random direction, but dreams are special, so he had a chance. But then he found himself wishing he knew what happened that got him in the hospital. Within moments, the landscape changed. _

_Kurt bravely took a few more steps as the storm grew, before merely standing. _

The storm breaks around Kurt, rain cascading down. It grabs him and lifts him up into its fury. Only now that he's up here, it doesn't seem angry at all. It seems sympathetic and reluctant as it carefully flings him into another dream. Fear begins to rise and he tries to turn away, but for some reason he can't change this dream like he could the others. He knows he's dreaming, so he should be able to do anything he wants… but now he's trapped. He's only a spectator as he lands in a lost memory.

. . . . . . . . .

Kurt strolls confidently down the hall to his car. The jocks will be in practice for at least another half hour, so it doesn't matter that he stayed later than the rest of glee. He can easily get home before the hockey and football teams have time to torment him. He wishes he had remembered to grab his phone this morning, but it had been charging and not in its usual place. It's not a big problem though, because he doesn't need his phone to remember the texts Blaine sends him. Just picturing them lifts his spirit even higher.

_Blaine: Courage. _

It's a simple thing really. It's only a text. He shouldn't be so caught up with one tiny word. The word, however, doesn't feel small when he reads it. It feels huge and full of hope. Everything isn't perfect, but after the previous couple of weeks, it feels that way. Sue had expelled Karofsky a couple days before and Finn had sung to him at his father and Carole's wedding and he no longer felt terrified. He could breathe easily despite the bruises across his body and his heart wasn't thudding rapidly with fear. After containing the terror for so long, the reprieve makes him feel utterly free. He could even skip.

Kurt isn't really paying attention as he reaches the parking lot. After all, why should he be?

Apparently, he should have been more alert because he doesn't notice the large figure skulking in the corner. He doesn't notice that the figure signals to another person behind him. Doesn't notice the pair quietly, menacingly come up behind him. Instead, he exits the school and walks towards his car—away from possible help.

But then…

"Hey there f*****."

Kurt recognizes the voice and fear almost stops him in his tracks. After a moment's pause, he starts to move again, only faster. He manages (just) to not run. Running would be the worst thing to do, because Karofsky would love to chase him. Karofsky would know he was not scared but terrified. So he says not a word, not one single retort, and attempts to make it to his car.

It doesn't work. A hand grips his shoulder and whips him around. Kurt's eyes trace the hand to the wrist, then the forearm, the upper arm, the shoulder, and then the face: Azimio. Next to him, grinning threateningly, stands Karofsky. _Shit. _

Kurt attempts to assemble his mask, but he has no way to know whether it works.

"He said 'Hey there f*****.' Don't you got somethin' to say?"

Kurt simply stares back, refusing to answer. Refusing to think about how much that word hurts, every single damn time they use it. If they could just throw him in the dumpster already, it would be perfect. _That's what they'll do, right? I mean Karofsky is usually worse when he has Azimio, but it isn't like he can… like he can… harass me in _that_ way with Azimio here. So this is better, actually. _Maybe Kurt would try to run now because this can't get much worse and he could possibly make it to the car, but Azimio effectively restrains him with the hand still on his shoulder and the other hand gripping his arm.

He struggles as they grab both his arms and drag him toward the dumpsters. He can't _not_ resist, despite the fact that he knows it's pretty futile. They have him in front of the dumpster in record time, but they don't lift him higher to toss him in. Instead, they drag him _behind_ the dumpster. He starts to panic. _They've never done this before. They've never done this before! _Kurt frantically sorts his thoughts into some sort of useful order: into an order that will let him somehow stop whatever it is his tormentors plan to do.

"If you do anything to me, they'll know exactly who to blame. You'll just get a larger punishment. It won't be worth it," Kurt tries desperately. An appeal to logic is probably wasted on the two homophobes holding him, however. _Actually, Karofsky might be smarter than I thought_, Kurt amends after a moment as Karofsky responds_ …too bad it won't help me_.

"Ah, but that's just it. The board let me come back to McKinley without even suspension. They overturned the punishment completely. So you see, why would I _ever_ hurt someone when I already got what I wanted? And _of course_ you wouldn't say a word, now would you? Because you wouldn't want me—" (Karofsky leans forward, whispering the end of his sentence in Kurt's ear) "—to do something… _else_, now would you?" A beat, filled with satisfaction on Karofsky's part, and then: "I didn't think so."

Kurt can't get his voice to work and he wants to because he wants to send back some scathing retort, but how would that help anyway? It would just get him more torture. But then again, if he retorts at least he will feel as though he has _some_ power, _some_ strength. Some courage. He swallows.

'It won't work, you know."

"Oh, it'll work perfectly fine."

"Well if you think this will solve your problems, go ahead. I mean, you're so original. So smart. I bet you'll achieve wonderful things later in life with this amount of creativity—"

A punch to the gut steals his breath. Karofsky moves so he stands in front of Kurt and Azimio shifts to restrain him by himself. If only he could reach his phone. He could probably get his hand to it eventually. And then he could press the speed dial for… Blaine, who would know what to do. Only Blaine knew the whole story, so he would be the best to contact. At least, he tells himself that's why he would choose Blaine to call. Hope begins to return, just a little, until he remembers his phone is still on the kitchen counter. No help will come. No help knows anything is wrong at the moment. Kurt takes a deep breath because that punch hurt much more than it would've if he didn't still have bruises all over. He hangs his head in defeat, waiting for Karofsky and Azimio to fall for it.

"Well well well," says Azimio behind him, " seems the f** really is a girl. That was easier than I expected. Would you look at that? Hmm… I still think—"

Kurt aims a kick at Karofsky's balls and wrenches free of Azimio's hold with strength received from a burst of adrenaline. The adrenaline gives his legs speed as he flies over the pavement—

—For all of merely twenty seconds before a huge weight (Azimio) tackles him to the ground. _Ow_.

Karofsky's voice looms in his ear, "I see that he didn't learn _anything_,"he says with fake disappointment. Karofsky and Azimio begin to drag him back behind the dumpster. They shake him violently with every single word. "You really are a stupid faerie aren't you?" They reach their destination, and now Karofsky hits Kurt with each word and Azimio restrains Kurt even more harshly than before. "We were only" _punch_ "trying to" _punch_ "help you overcome_"_ _punch_ "your disorder. We just thought" _punch_ "You would appreciate the help. After all, not everyone has the strength to change their mind about things like this."

"Is that what you are then, Karofsky? Strong? You manage to cha—"

Karofsky punches him faster and harder than before. Kurt hadn't thought it possible. "_I _talk here. You don't say a single fucking word. Do" _punch_ "you" _punch _"understand?" _vicious punch. _

Only Kurt doesn't even have a chance to respond, because the last punch makes him start seeing blackness, and he isn't so sure what is happening anymore. Azimio keeps shaking him, the perfect little henchman, and Karofsky keeps hitting him, trying to punch the gay out of himself.

And so Kurt descends into darkness.

They keep hitting.

. . . . . . . . .

Eventually Azimio simply lets go of the slack body he holds and lets Kurt fall to the ground. Then Karofsky and Azimio kick Kurt. The entire attack took little time. They leave Kurt, unconscious, behind the dumpster where no one will see. Five minutes later they join the jocks exiting the school without any traces of Kurt's blood on them anymore. Karofsky slaps high fives with most of the team members as they congratulate him on his return to McKinley.

An hour later Will Schuester walks out of the building, absently making his way to his car. He parked it in a different place today because he was late. He hums to himself happily enough until he spots blood on the ground. He follows it and finds Kurt. Will frantically dials 911 as he tries to find a pulse. The he calls Mr. Hummel andwaits for the ambulance as a tear slides down his face.

. . . . . . . . .

In real life, Kurt was content enough at his point because Blaine had found him and he had reached that mysterious, wonderful place. But the dream-memory didn't let Kurt escape to that place this time. Instead it made him watch even after his memory-self had lost consciousness. So when he wakes up he hasn't been comforted at all, and knows only fear.


	6. Waking Up

_Hello! _

_What do you think of two chapters in one day? I'd be pretty happy with myself except that it doesn't quite count. Chapters four and five would be one chapter, but I felt that there needed to be a bigger divider between Kurt's nightmare and the conversation in the hospital room. They're both a bit shorter, but if you put them together (without author's notes) it's 4,287 words! I realize that isn't very long, but it is my longest yet. _

_I would normally thank the reviewers of the previous chapter right now, but that doesn't make sense. So thank you to everyone who has put alerts on this story, favorited it, and/or reviewed it! _

_I try to keep my profile updated with information about this story (word counts of chapters in progress, when to expect a new chapter…), just so you know. _

_Please review (but please no flames) and I hope you enjoy this chapter! (And if you don't tell me why)_

_I do not own Glee or RENT : ) (But I do love RENT dearly) _

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In the back of his mind, Blaine thinks that Kurt is the most adorable thing _ever_ as he watches Kurt drift to sleep. Kurt's protestations only heighten the cuteness and normally Blaine would have a silly grin on his face right now. Instead, he can't help dwelling on Mr. Hummel's anger that he had known about the Karofsky situation without telling him. What if he had responded differently before? He had been sure—so sure—that he had responded in the best way possible, but perhaps he hadn't. Perhaps Kurt wouldn't be in this bed right now if Blaine had told Mr. Hummel about Karofsky. If that was the case, then this entire thing would all be his fault. _All of it._

Right as Blaine starts on more mental abuse, Mr. Hummel interrupts by beginning the inevitable conversation.

"You didn't tell me about Karofsky," he says gruffly. Blaine notes that he seems to have calmed, but he isn't sure if the only thing holding Mr. Hummel back from shouting is the promise he made to his son. The usually absent pessimistic side of Blaine thinks it probably is. The optimistic side only half-heartedly tells the pessimistic side to hush.

"No sir, I didn't."

"And why didn't you?"

Blaine has kept his eyes on Kurt's face until now, but something in Mr. Hummel's tone forces him to look up. It has some anger in it and some sadness, but overall it just sounds… tired. Kurt's father doesn't deserve to sound that way after all the support he's given Kurt, so meeting his eyes is probably the least Blaine can do.

"When Kurt first came to Dalton, he stopped me on the stairs. He obviously wasn't a student, but I took him to the Warblers' performance anyway." Blaine looks carefully at Mr. Hummel's face to see if he'll allow a roundabout explanation. Mr. Hummel simply waits, so Blaine continues. He really isn't sure what he would do if Mr. Hummel was impatient. He could tell him why, but he couldn't _explain_ it. "He couldn't quite believe we were popular and he had this amazing expression on his face… And then it crumpled and fell when he found out about the zero tolerance for bullying." Blaine glances sadly at Kurt. "I told him that I was gay and he told me about the bullying at McKinley. We didn't talk for all that long that day, but it was special because we just…sort of fit. You can have close friends, best friends, but most of them don't understand. Even if they've been bullied, it isn't quite the same. And me and him, we understood each other." Blaine smiles slightly. "So we exchanged phone numbers and we started hanging out with each other and talking all the time. It might not have happened so quickly, but the day after we met Karofsky kissed him. He called me and we talked for hours."

Mr. Hummel takes advantage of Blaine's pause after that. "But why could he tell you when he couldn't tell me? Or Mercedes? Or anyone else?"

Blaine looks down again at that because he isn't positively sure. He knows why, but he can't quite verbalize it. It makes perfect sense when it rests, unexamined, within his mind… but when he ponders it, he knows it isn't quite usual. Even other people with the exact same situations don't develop friendships as swiftly as he and Kurt had. They don't immediately fall in synch with each other. They probably also don't think about each other constantly and—_okay, time to stop that train of thought. Besides… I don't know that Kurt thinks about me constantly. _

"It's hard for me to say. It was because we understood each other so well, but beyond that… I'm not entirely certain. Perhaps it was because he didn't need to put up an act for me. I know he doesn't need to for you, but he always tries to protect you, for all that you're supposed to be the one protecting him. He kept saying that he couldn't tell you because you would freak out and that you had to stay calm because of your health. As for the people at school… they're his friends, but that doesn't mean they all understand him. Most of them don't. I'm not positive why he didn't tell Mercedes. I think he didn't trust her to give him advice or to act normal when he needed to move past it for a little while."

"So he confided in you. But why didn't you tell someone what was happening?"

"_Because _he confided in me. He needed—needs—somebody to talk to and telling someone would have betrayed his trust. And as much as I keep wondering what else could have happened and keep torturing myself with what I could have done, I still think it was the right decision—"

Burt interrupts at that, not a little fiercely: "You still think—"

"Mr. Hummel, please let me finish," Blaine requests softly. He continues only after Mr. Hummel gives a tiny nod. "He needed to be the one to tell you. He was just about to, honestly. He didn't tell me about Karofsky's threat right away either—I knew something was wrong so I kept prompting him slightly and after a little while he told me. That was when I really tried to get him to tell you, but before he could choose to, part of it came out during his dancing lesson. After Karofsky's expulsion, it didn't seem… as urgent. The danger appeared to be gone so outing Karofsky didn't seem necessary. We clearly underestimated Karofsky, and I wish we hadn't, but… I could have pushed Kurt more, but with the threat seemingly gone…

Blaine looks, almost desperately, at Mr. Hummel. Maybe his explanation is simply the worst explanation he could give. Perhaps it did nothing to help Mr. Hummel understand and perhaps the only reason Mr. Hummel isn't going berserk is the promise he made to Kurt. It is, however, the only explanation he can give.

Mr. Hummel quietly examines his hands for a moment, softly shaking his head. Then: "I can't exactly tell you that I understand," he murmurs, "I can't say that I agree with you. I don't think any parent would. But I _almost_ understand and I think you probably made a good decision based on what you knew. I wish you hadn't freakin' underestimated the Neanderthal, but you did so that's past. And I'm glad that Kurt had—has—somebody to talk to." He waits for what seems like ages before adding, "So I suppose that… we're okay. I'm happy to know he has a friend that he's on the same wavelength with."

The last part, the wavelength part, has an inflection that implies Mr. Hummel quoted it from somewhere. Blaine can't think of where that would be, so he simply ignores it. _How does one react when one has just been… accepted by the father of a close friend? And accepted as what, exactly? He gave the words more weight than he would have if he was merely acknowledging a friend of his son's…_

He decides on a solemn "thank you" accompanied by a small smile.

The conversation might have drifted into less serious topics after that, as conversation often do, if not for a small mournful whimper from Kurt. Both Mr. Hummel and Blaine immediately turn to Kurt's face, which suddenly adopts a fearful expression. _Nightmare. It has to be a nightmare._ _No. He shouldn't—he shouldn't have to have that! _

Mr. Hummel, his face tight with worry, shakes Kurt's shoulder. "Kurt? It's a nightmare Kurt. You have to wake up. You're safe; I s_wear_ you're _safe_ Kurt."

Blaine merely stands frozen, wondering how he could help Kurt more than his father in this situation. After all, his father must know how to wake him up when he's having a nightmare…

Blaine's indecision only lasts another moment before he tries as well. "It's okay Kurt, you're okay. You just need to wake up. It's not real. Or if it is, it's past. It's only a memory. A horrible memory, but it's over Kurt. Just wake up." He gently shakes Kurt's other shoulder and when that fails, tentatively touches Kurt's cheek. Mr. Hummel continues trying as well, but nothing works.

Kurt starts twisting and turning, waging a war with his sheets. Two pairs of hand attempt to still him, but both fail.

In desperation (and expecting failure) Blaine takes Kurt's hands and begins to sing. _You saved me_, Kurt had said _… I was scared… and then I heard your voice and everything was better. _The words had astonished him at the same time they had filled him with happiness. It's a bit arrogant to think singing could work, but it can't hurt and Kurt _had _woken up when he'd started humming…

"_Your eyes_

_as we said our goodbyes_

_can't get them out of my mind_

_and I find_

_I can't hide_

_From your eyes…" _

He isn't quite sure why he chose that song. They had sung along to RENT during some of their drives together and it was immediately obvious that Kurt loved the song… It also has the added benefit that Mimi recovers after it, Blaine supposes.

Mr. Hummel glances over at Blaine with astonishment, but Blaine is too fixed on Kurt to notice. Kurt continues fighting his blankets, but less violently than before. Blaine started the song quietly because he didn't want to further scare Kurt, but as he continues he gains more and more volume. It's a simple, beautiful song, with so much _potential_ and he tries to do it justice. After all, if he sings it only softly, what hope does it have of penetrating into Kurt's nightmare?

"…_as I looked into your eyes_

_Why does distance make us wise?…_"

"No. _No!_" Kurt's eyes shoot open and if the sheets weren't completely tangled he would most likely sit up, but as it is he lies panting against his pillows. His eyes clearly don't see the hospital room or his father or his friend. He isn't truly awake yet.

Mr. Hummel, his voice not yet containing any relief, tries to pull his son back to reality. "Kurt. You're awake. It was nothing but a nightmare. You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you. Only a nightmare, only a nightmare…"

As Mr. Hummel continues the words, like a mantra, Kurt's eyes slowly begin to focus.

Words pour out of Kurt, hardly intelligible due to their speed. "They were holding me, and he was hitting me, and I couldn't get away, and _where am I, _and how did I get away and _where are they_ and—"

"Shh son, shh. It's okay. You're safe. I have you and you're safe and we'll get them—"

Unfortunately, Kurt only notices the last three words. "You'll get them? They're still out there? No, no they're going to hurt me and they won't stop and…" Kurt continues babbling as Mr. Hummel frantically tries to break through.

His heart in his throat, Blaine also attempts to help though he thinks he probably won't manage to since Kurt's dad clearly isn't. He insistently talks over Kurt, "They aren't here. They can't get to you. We're here and we'll make sure that _nothing_ happens to you. You're okay. It's a dreadful memory, but it's past okay? So just try, _try_ to calm down and just look at us. We're all here for you, Kurt…"

"B-Blaine?"

"Yeah, it's me. And you dad is right here too. I'm not sure if Mercedes, Finn, and Carole are still here, but I hear all of New Directions have been here as much as possible… We're right here, and we're not going anywhere, okay?"

"Y-yeah," Kurt answers, his voice shaky. "H-hey Dad."

"Do you want to talk about it kiddo?"

"Not really. Not yet. I can't, yet."

"Okay. Do you remember being awake here before now? I don't think you did earlier."

Kurt's gaze travels around the room, noting the chair his father sits on and Blaine on his left side. Recognition filters into his expression as he remembers. He slowly raises a hand to his forehead. A deep sigh escapes his lips. "I remember, and I was fine before, but I still feel like I'm _there_, you know? It was so _vivid_." Burt squeezes his hand and Blaine offers an understanding nod.

"Are you going to stay awake for now? We can… we could put on Sound of Music or something, so that you don't have to think about it for a while. Well, we don't have Sound of Music, but we could get it for you, or—"

"Dad? I don't know. I don't want to go to sleep right now, but even if I did, I'd be too scared. What time is it?"

"Well, you first woke up at nearly 10:10. It was 10:07, or something like that." Checking his watch, Burt adds "and now it's 2:28."

Blaine takes a moment to be surprised by that information. _Over four hours since I got the phone call? Really? _And then, _Wes and David must be wondering where on Earth I am… weren't we supposed to do something this afternoon? Oops_, he thinks uneasily before deciding he call them as soon as he can (without leaving Kurt alone, of course).

"Kurt? I might have my iPod and headphones in my car. Want to listen to it for a bit?"

His friend bites his lip. "You sure you don't mind?" It's a ridiculous question, especially under the circumstances, but Kurt has plenty of excuses for being irrational.

Blaine gives a grin, assures Kurt that he doesn't mind in the slightest, and pauses to pretend to ruffle Kurt's hair before running to fetch the iPod. He wouldn't actually mess up Kurt's hair (even now, Kurt would _not_ take kindly to that). He also pulls out his phone, wincing at the unnoticed texts, and calls David. He mentally braces himself for the torrent that is Wes and David, but he knows they'll understand completely as soon as they let him explain the situation. Actually, they might understand it so well that they'll take it upon themselves to…

—_Oh Dear. _

* * *

_I'm honestly not sure about the ending… I wasn't sure what to have Kurt do immediately after waking up. I hope it wasn't dialogue heavy earlier either. I just thought it was a conversation Blaine and Burt needed to have and didn't want too much narration taking focus away from it. This would probably be longer if I hadn't written these two chapters today and yesterday, but anyway… _

_The song is "Your Eyes" from RENT. _

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I love reviews. _

_Thanks for reading! _


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